Donald Norman

American academic · United States · On the map · Academics · Born 1935 · age 90

Donald Arthur Norman is an American researcher, professor, and author. Norman is the founding director of The Design Lab at University of California, San Diego. He is best known for his books on design, especially The Design of Everyday Things.

Donald Norman is read about 155 times a day, in 22 languages.

A typical day, 30 days to 6 November 2026

The middle day of the days counted, so one week of news cannot move it. The line under it is the last 104 days, one point a day.

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A life in dates

2021The Sir Misha Black AwardsAward2006Benjamin Franklin MedalAward2002“Technologists are not noted for learning from the errors of the past. They look forward, not behind, so they repeat the same problems over and over again.”In their wordsIntroduction to the 2002 Edition, p. xv.Read the whole statement

2001ACM FellowAwardCHI AcademyAward1998“As the technology matures, it becomes less and less relevant. The technology is taken for granted.”In their wordsCh. 10Read the whole statement

“We are victims of our own success.”In their wordsCh. 10Read the whole statement

1996“Academics get paid for being clever, not for being right.”In their wordsJune 199627th annual conference of the Travel and Tourism Research Association, June 1996, Las Vegas, p. 143.Read the whole statement

1988“If people keep buying poorly designed products, manufacturers and designers will think they are doing the right thing and continue as usual.”In their wordsCh. 1, p. 8.Read the whole statement

“When a device as simple as a door has to come with an instruction manual - even a one-word manual - then it is a failure, poorly designed.”In their wordsCh. 4, p. 87; regarding doors labeled "Push" and "Pull".Read the whole statement

1935Born25 December 1935

People around Donald

Close ties

Jakob Nielsen Co-founded Nielsen Norman Group

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In their own words 4

Donald Norman

4 statements, newest first

Good design is also an act of communication between the designer and the user, except that all the communication has to come about by the appearance of the device itself.
2002 · Introduction to the 2002 Edition, p. xi., Own words
Go to the bookstore and look at how many bookshelves are filled with books trying to explain how to work the devices.
1998 · Ch. 10, Own words
Usability is not often thought of as a criterion during the purchasing process.
1988 · Ch. 3, p. 78., Own words

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Awards

The Sir Misha Black Awards2021

Benjamin Franklin Medal2006

CHI Academy2001

ACM Fellow2001

Honorary Doctor of the University of Padua

About this person

He is widely regarded for his expertise in the fields of design, usability engineering, and cognitive science, and has shaped the development of the field of cognitive systems engineering. He is a co-founder of the Nielsen Norman Group, along with Jakob Nielsen. He is also an IDEO fellow and a member of the Board of Trustees of IIT Institute of Design in Chicago. He also holds the title of Professor Emeritus of Cognitive Science at the University of California, San Diego. Norman is an active Distinguished Visiting Professor at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), where he spends two months a year teaching.

Country

United States